Crying Blood Tears
by x lake of tears x
Summary: She was nobody, an orphan. He was the king of the damned. So what could he possibly want her for?
1. Just A Walk

Crying Blood Tears

She was nobody, an orphan. He was the king of the damned. So what could he possibly want her for?

Gone Out For A Walk

"Areyah!" the high-pitched screech ripped through the young girls dream like a deadly knife and she awoke rubbing her eyes and yawning. She worked in the tavern, or perhaps slaved would be more appropriate, as a way of keeping a roof over her head and food and drink on the table. It was rather ironic really saying it kept a roof over her head because it couldn't have been more true, she slept under the slate tiles, in the attic on an old broken down bed with a poor mattress and feather bedspread that issued little warmth. She clambered off the creaking mattress and quickly switched her nightgown for her work dress, a simple beige frock that tucked in at the waist, with a white apron over the top and a white collar. It was neither pretty, nor comfortable but it did the job it was supposed to. Areyah pulled her long black curls into bun at the back of her head and quickly splashed cold water on her face, promising herself a proper bath later.

"Areyah Tempest!" The screech came again and adding her last name meant that the owner of the voice was getting impatient. Quickly pulling on her boots, Areyah hurried down the fourteen steps from the attic and the twenty steps form the first floor into the backroom of the already busy inn. She stood before a fierce looking woman, with a hooked nose, narrowed green eyes and, furiously red hair scraped back under a cap. As frightening as she looked, Helen Fresco was not really harsh.

"Areyah! Finally you appear! Dormir tarde!" Areyah smiled slightly as Helen slipped back into Portuguese but knew better than to laugh.

"You are wanted in the kitchen, go!" Helen pushed her and turned and ran back into the bar and was called over by yet another customer.

"Bread!" Came a shout as Areyah walked into the kitchens and automatically she pulled out the flour and eggs and yeast and began to mix them furiously. Pouring the gooey mix into baking tins she almost threw them in the oven and called over to Bethany, another girl in the kitchens, to watch it for her.

Walking out of the kitchens she waltzed straight through the tavern and out of the door, pulling her hair out of it's bun as she did so, the heat of the kitchens was always too much for her, and she often escaped out into the cold air just to breathe the cold into her lungs, It was bright and sunny, with a few clouds in the sky. She walked over to the well in the centre of the village square and looked down into the black depths, her reflection shimmering back at her, she shivered and looked up.

"Holy Hell…" she muttered as she looked at the sun or rather the lack of it, one of the larger black clouds had crossed its path and the sky darkened. Already she could hear doors slamming and windows locking as people. Terror slowly gripped Areyah's heart as she sprinted back towards the tavern and cursed herself for not checking the clouds movements more closely. Her mind on her thoughts she forget to watch where she was going and tripped over a paving slab hitting the floor and grazing her hands. She heard the flap of wings and leapt to her feet and turned around. Three white bat women landed in front of her and changed before her eyes into three beautiful vampires. The closest had long straight black hair and was dressed in mint green silk and muslin. The second had long curly auburn hair and had a revealing pink gown on and the third had blonde curly hair and was wearing a yellow dress and all three wore evil smiles their elongated canine's glinting.

"Aww look at the little village girl, so frightened, so lonely, so lost." The auburn haired one cooed.

"Now, now Aleera, it's not nice to make fun of food…" came a slight rebuke from the vampire with black hair.

"But Verona, look at her, she doesn't know anything about herself!" Aleera mocked and Areyah looked at her with disdain.

"Aleera, Verona and Marishka, fly back to hell where you belong!" Areyah snarled the comments about her angering her.

"Look at her, she'd make a perfect little bride, with that temper, I bet her blood is boiling hot with rage…" Marishka laughed, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder. Areyah knelt down slowly and pulled a silver stake from her boot and stood up gripping it in her fist.

"Don't come near me, you hell whore's!" Areyah commanded viciously, pulling another stake from her belt. She aimed one and threw it at Aleera, hitting her in the arm making the vampire hiss in pain and drop back a little.

"Don't ever mock me, when you coo over that monster you are brides for!" She stated.

"How dare you try and hurt us!" Verona growled.

"Your name! What is your name?" Marishka asked.

"My name is Areyah Tempest, and I am not any petty village girl, so do not treat me like one!" came the quick reply.

"And so we will not," Areyah spun round and without thinking rammed the stake through the heart of the man behind her. She gasped and backed away a little, watching as he pulled it free and threw it into the ground. He grabbed her wrists and looked at her in the face and defiantly she glared back.

"Count Vladislaus Dracula." She stated the look of disgust plain on her face.

"Areyah Tempest, or should I say, Areyah Valerious?" he asked and the brides gasped.

"What? Are you losing your mind, Count? I am no Valerious!" She laughed bitterly.

"No? But look at you, so similar looking to your Mother Anna, apart from your hair is darker than hers, same feisty temper, she left you in the hands of the baker and told him to look after you well, giving you the last name of Tempest, so you would never be found by Dracula." He laughed, as the cold look of disbelief faltered on Areyah's face.

"You lie! You murdered my Mother and the baker found me by the roadside! He gave me the last name tempest because there was a storm brewing at the time!" Areyah's voice was almost desperate.

"You were then vanquished by Van Helsing along with your bride's on the day of my sixth birthday, you then returned seven years after on my thirteenth birthday, destroying the baker's household, but by lucky chance I had been out that day as they prepared for my birthday!" Dracula looked at her amused.

"Indeed your facts are right but what do all these facts lead up to?" he questioned, raising his eyebrows.

"That Anna Valerious could not be my Mother; she died on the same night of your destruction at the age of twenty two. That would mean she was sixteen when she gave birth to me! The Valerious family would not allow that as I would have been born out of wedlock!" A triumphant look passed over her face but flittered away as Dracula shook his head.

"My dear child, Anna was sixteen when she became your Mother. She was terrified and, though she loved you dearly, she was too proud to ruin the Valerious family name, so she wrapped you up and left you on the doorstep of the Bakers house with a note saying that you were in grave danger because your Mother was wanted by Count Dracula, which was all true." He smiled and Areyah tried to pull away.

"Then who was my father if you know all this, then surely you know his name?" Areyah snarled at him.

"Oh yes, I know quite a lot of your Father, in fact, everything there is to know about him, because, my child, your Father is I." Areyah's mouth dropped open and she tried to pull away from him as his grip tightened around her wrists. He wrapped his arm securely around her waist and he and his bride's turned into their bat forms and headed for Dracula's home. Areyah struggled constantly as she was carried, more willing to be dropped than find out the awful truth about her new found "Father". She looked down and realized they had flown almost above the clouds, gasping at the sheer height that they were at.

Suddenly she realised that she must be half-vampire if Dracula was her Father and she settled down, in pretence of sleep, if she could get him to relax than she could break free from his grasp and become one of those winged beasts, or at least try. After a while the arm around her grew relaxed and she opened her eyes, breathing in deeply she kicked away from Dracula and fell through the air.

"Wings, Grow Wings!" she cursed and suddenly she felt herself lifted and heard the flap of the wings on her back. She glanced down at her hands, almost unwilling to see the white skin and claws she was certain she would have. As she sneaked a glance at her fingers she gasped to see them pink with normal healthy human nails. Shocked her wings froze in mid-flap and she tumbled down towards the Earth, screeching she tried to fly again but her wings made little difference and only slowed her speedy descent.

Tears coursed down her wind stung cheeks and desperate she called for the only person she had,

"Dracula!" she yelped and he appeared beside her, the horrible winged beast and she screamed in fright.

"You called my dear, but I only answer one word from you..." he snarled laughing cruelly.

"Never!" the harsh reply came and Areyah flapped her large wings desperately but to little avail.

"Well, I suppose I shall have to let you die, one less Valerious…" he laughed and made to fly off. Areyah was torn by the agony of not wanting to die and acknowledging Dracula as her Father, the latter won.

"Father, please!" she begged and he swept her up in his arms, her wings shrinking and disappearing.

"Thank you Areyah." Dracula whispered gently in her ear but Areyah winced and tried to ignore the terrible feeling inside and the malicious voice in her head calling her a coward, she crunched up as small as she could and slowly, as exhaustion finally claimed her she slipped into a fitful sleep.

"Yes, little one, sleep for a long journey of discovery awaits you…" Dracula smiled, running his claws through Areyah's long black locks.

Home Sweet Home 


	2. Where You Truly Belong

Thank you to all my readers & reviewers! Here's the next part, hope you enjoy it, if not then this can just be a warm-up for the next chapter…   
Where You Truly Belong 

Areyah awoke suddenly a vivid dream crashing through her mind with the subtlety of a herd of elephants. She saw a young woman running through the dead of night, through the village and she stopped outside the bakery and placed the small bundle in her arms as carefully as she could on the doorstep and placed a letter inside it.

"Please darling, don't cry, I love you so much my heart is breaking, but I'll always be here and someday you'll know the truth, you're better protected here, from Dracula and my family." The woman whispered before running away through the dark.

"Anna!" Areyah called but she didn't look back and Areyah ran over to the little bundle where she knew she'd see herself.

Areyah realized her dream was probably the past and she scowled, no doubt it was Dracula's doing. She sat up and realized she was in a rather large bedroom and had been placed on a king-size bed. She stepped off the bed and looked around herself in wonder, directly opposite the bed was the ebony wood door, and to the right of the bed were two glass doors that lead onto a balcony. On the left wall there was a huge ebony bookcase stacked with old novels and a plush red leather chair. Directly next to her bed on the left side was a huge wardrobe, also made of ebony, and on the right there was a little chest of drawers with a lamp set on top of them. And finally she noticed an old writing desk in the corner near the balcony, and it was covered with sheets of parchment and quills. The whole room was painted crimson and even the bedspread followed the black and red design.

Areyah ran over to the wardrobe and pulled it open gasping as the saw the beautiful clothes inside.

"All chosen by Aleera, Marishka and myself." A quiet voice murmured behind her. Areyah whirled around and saw Verona stood in front of her.

"Good evening Verona," Areyah smiled politely, though secretly she felt hatred coursing through her blood.

"Good evening Areyah, would you like me to help you choose a dress and please, darling, I have not yet eaten and your hatred only proves to make the smell of your blood more enticing." Verona replied, smiling. Areyah calmed herself and frowned, this vampire did not seem to ant her dead, perhaps she could find out more about herself, her past.

"I shall tell you more of yourself Areyah, but only after you have washed dressed and dined with me, now go!" Verona pushed Areyah out of the room and her melodic voice followed,

"The bathroom is first on the right, make sure you lock the door!"

Areyah sighed and went into the bathroom and ran herself a bath. As she bathed she thought of what Verona might tell her. She finally got out and dried herself and wrapped herself in a red silk dressing gown and walked into her room where Verona was waiting.

"Areyah! I have your things ready for you, come and meet me in the dining room when you are ready, turn right and go along this corridor, you'll eventually come to some stairs, go down them and turn right and it's the room directly in front of you." Verona disappeared before her eyes and Areyah stepped back a little in shock. Glancing at the bed she saw the clothes Verona had picked for her, a red corset trimmed with black lace and a long black skirt. Verona had also laid out some jewellery and make-up for her and Areyah dressed readily in the finery she hadn't even had the privilege to touch before. Areyah dressed quickly leaving her hair flowing free. She ran down the corridors and arrived at the dining room just as Verona ordered some food to be set down. Aleera and Marishka were sat with her and beckoned her to sit with them. As Areyah slipped into the seat she noticed all three vampires had a silver goblet in their hands filled with ruby red liquid, Areyah didn't like to think what it was.

"Darling you look beautiful!" Verona smiled.

"Oh, you're wearing the necklace!" Marishka gasped and smiled touching the silver chain around her neck picking up the pendant of a black bat, it's feet clasped around a red ruby in the shape of a blood droplet. Areyah glanced at Aleera and saw how resentful she was towards her and decided something needed to be done.

"Aleera, I'm sorry for injuring you, I was desperate and did not know then what I do now, do you accept my apology?" she asked swallowing down the repulsive feeling she felt.

"Of course! Darling I know exactly what you mean!" Aleera smiled, but her eyes were still frozen cold and narrowed filled with a flaming hate and jealousy. Areyah was shocked. Jealousy of what? The other two bride's attentions? Dracula's attention? Areyah picked up her glass goblet in front of her and took a sip of wine. It was warm and sweet but with a bitter taste at the back of her throat, almost instantly she knew it was mixed with blood. She smiled slightly but set it down with a cold look on her face.

"I don't belong here, I don't belong anywhere…" Areyah said with disgust standing up from her seat at the table. She picked up the goblet pouring the liquid to the floor before dropping it to the floor and watching the shards spin across the room. She turned and fled the room, running through the corridors, tears streaming down her face, her make-up running down her face, she ran through her room and out onto the balcony, the rain pouring down, soaking her through in minutes.

"Why?" she screamed as she leant over the edge, "Why me? Why couldn't I be part of a normal family, away from this godforsaken place? I want a mother, I want a father, I want to be oblivious to anything but the happiness of having parents instead of being daughter of vampire and a princess who never wanted me! I want… I want…" She slipped to the floor, sobbing, soaked to the skin, distraught. She felt arms around her and pick her up gently.

"My dear, all these things you cannot have, except a father, though I'm afraid I'm a little lacking when it comes to it." Dracula breathed as she sobbed into his shoulder. He ran his fingers through her hair and sighed, the one thing that she needed though, he couldn't give, wasn't able to give, as much as he was protective of her he couldn't giver her love.

"Areyah, you do belong somewhere now, this is where you truly belong." He walked into her bedroom the balcony doors slamming behind him, placing her on the bed he smiled, kissed her gently on the forehead and swept out of the room.

"Verona!" He called as he walked down the corridor to the library, she appeared in front of him, anxious about Areyah.

"Watch her, make sure she is comfortable, I will not have time for her at the moment as regretful as that is, Gabriel Van Helsing has been alerted about our return, I must deal with him." Verona nodded and disappeared down the corridor, and Dracula's feature's hardened,

"This time, I cannot be defeated."

Areyah changed into a clean and dry red velvet dress and sighed.

"Why does his nature change so much, he is vicious but gently, kind but cruel and he is my father, and I cannot accept that, oh why must I be in this situation?" she cried as she sat in the armchair. She stood up and began searching for books on vampires, on Dracula, somehow she had to find out his history and she was prepared to risk anything.


	3. An Old Acquaintance

Wow, two updates in a day! Aren't you the lucky lot? Thanks to Velfin who reviewed my second and 1st chapter and thanks to garnettears, PIPER331 and Fortune Zyne for reviewing my first chapter with positive comments. And to…

"Disgusting. How did Anna let herself get seduced by his ass?" well you'll find out eventually you'll just have to keep reading

An Old Acquaintance 

Gabriel Van Helsing sat in silence, sipping at a cup of black coffee, his eyes shadowed by his wide-brimmed hat. His two companions, looked at each other, unsure of what was wrong with the monster-hunter. The younger, a boy of eighteen snorted in discontent and pulled his leather trench coat closer around himself. He looked older than his years his tanned skin weathered, His long straight brown hair, in a slight state of disarray, his blue eyes, dull and filled with boredom.

"Van Helsing, what is wrong with you?" he asked, his tone more vicious than he intended.

"I was thinking about the girl that Dracula and his brides have kidnapped, what could he possibly want with her? She is but a year younger than you, not old enough to be a bride, but what else would he want her for?" A puzzled look flashed across his handsome features and the boy shrugged.

"What does it matter? So long as we get her back safely and defeat Dracula then nothing else matters." The third member of their party grunted in disagreement.

"Really Nicholas, that is not at all correct, we must find out what Dracula plans for it will affect the whole of Romania and then Europe. Have you learnt nothing?" he rebuked as he raked his fingers through his sandy-coloured hair.

"It's not Nicholas, it's Nick! And what do I care? You're just an annoying good-for-nothing monk, Carl!" Nick replied heatedly getting up to stoke the tiny blaze in font of them.

"I am not a monk! And you're just a useless little orphan!" Carl shouted, Nick scowled and with a growl of annoyance walked off out of sight, into the woods.

"Oh well done Carl, now you've said that he'll be sulking for days and we need him where we can see him, we are to close to Dracula's residence for him to run off." Van Helsing sighed getting to his feet and walking away from the firelight.

"I'm going looking for him, stay here!" he ordered walking in the direction that Nick had gone.

"Orphan, well at least I'm not sad enough to join the church, ugh I wish those priests had never found me, I'd rather be dead than doing this…" He complained angrily, kicking at the ground.

"Ever heard, be careful what you wish for?" A hiss came from behind him and he looked around, finding four beautiful women stood before him. It looked as if they were centred around the girl in the middle, the one in black and red silk, the one with long loosely curled black hair and large grey eye's, eye's that betrayed too much feeling.

"Dear boy, who are you with?" the red-haired girl stepped forward, a dangerous glint in her green eyes.

"Aleera, be careful, he looks wicked." The other black-haired woman murmured, flicking her straight hair over her shoulder.

"Verona, I'm not totally incapable…" Aleera replied, rolling her eyes.

"Well, you were with Areyah," the one with blonde hair rebuked quietly.

"Marishka!" Aleera snapped, deeply offended by the comment.

"Marishka, Aleera, this isn't the best thing to do on Areyah's first hunt." Verona intervened, her voice hardly raised but standing no nonsense.

"You four are all vampire's aren't you?" Nick asked, though he didn't really need the answer.

"Three bride's of Dracula, Aleera, Marishka, Verona and a friend perhaps? Areyah, the name is familiar." Nick said pulling a pistol from his belt. Areyah stepped forward, watching the pistol, knowing she was not immortal. She walked around him and stepped behind him, her arms encircling his waist, feeling the warmth of his flesh, and comforting herself. She pulled back his hair and whispered quietly into his hair.

"Not a friend, a family member." She ran a finger down his cheek and Nick frowned as he felt the warmth from her hand, she should've been freezing cold, as cold as death, unless she was… he allowed himself to enjoy the touch before he pushed her away back into the arms of the brides.

"Don't come near me!" he shouted as the three brides encircled him and Areyah stood back and watched.

"No!" the brides stepped back and saw a figure stood in the shadows.

"Van Helsing!" Marishka shrieked, remembering their brief meeting before and how he'd vanquished her. She ran over to Areyah and grabbed her arm protectively, fearing for herself, and fearing the loss of Dracula's daughter. Areyah looked up, wanting to run to him, but her growing friendship with the brides holding her back.

"Van Helsing, so the boy is with you! But look who else we have, Areyah Tempest, or should we say Areyah Valerious, or even better Areyah Valerious-Dracula!" Aleera snarled as realization dawned on Nick's face and a mask of shock drew over the monster-hunters features.

"You lie!" Van Helsing bellowed charging at her a silver stake in his hand. Aleera dodged playfully.

"No, look at her, so similar to her mother, but with her father's influence, and soon she will be ours." Aleera cackled as Verona pushed Nick towards Areyah. She grabbed hold of him and with Marishka beside her they flew up into the sky, Marishka as a white demon and Areyah almost like a fallen angel. The two remaining brides laughed and became demons and shot up into the sky.

"Shit, Oh god, what have I done?" Van Helsing moaned running back to find Carl.

Areyah flew down to Nick's level as Marishka's claws dug firmly into his shoulders.

"What are you?" Nick questioned as he looked from her wings to her face.

"Dracula's daughter, my mother was Anna Valerious. It makes me half-vampire, able to withstand sunlight, live without blood, fly but I am not immortal, I can grow fangs, enjoy the taste of blood, dislike crucifix's and sunlight…" Nick cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"Yeah I know what it means, I just wasn't sure if you were one," he replied.

"You were meant to be my first feed, but Van Helsing showed up, I'm glad he did really, I didn't want to kill you…" Areyah trailed off.

"Thanks, though you know if you'd rushed over to Van Helsing you would be safe now?" he pointed out and Areyah nodded.

"I know, but I have formed a friendship with the brides, I cannot bear to see them die now, he would have almost certainly shot at least one of them as soon as he had me." Areyah turned away, confused with what she felt inside, she wanted her freedom, but hardly felt prisoner. She looked at Nick again studying his handsome features for a second, stirring up emotions inside her before muttering.

"I'll ask Dracula if he'll spare you, it's the least I can do…"

"I regret to think I am being helped by a vampire." He smiled cheekily at her and she prodded him in the ribs.

"Only half, what's your name anyway?" Areyah asked smiling.

"Nick, and you're Areyah right?" she nodded and flew up towards Verona to speak with her.


	4. A Lack Of Compassion

Thankyou again to all my readers, especially Velfin and PIPER331. Fortune Zyne is now beginning to scare me a little with "Ugh, teenage love. Hurry up and explain it or else I shall spank you with oak paddles." But I appreciate it all the same, well here's the next chapter, my apologies for the slight delay in getting it out.

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A Lack Of Compassion

Areyah stood before Dracula her eye's blazing as he laughed at her compassion towards Nick.

"My Dear, he is worthless, a mangy human with very few manners yet you ask me to spare him, why? Is my daughter falling in love perhaps?" He sneered and she blushed as Nick listened to it all as the brides pulled him back, his face already bruised where is insolence had caused him a punishment. Areyah growled as the brides laughed mockingly and flew at Dracula her wings spread, fangs bared. She hit him forcefully knocking him backwards slashing his face in her anger. Surprise had put him at a slight disadvantage but he was stronger than her and threw her off him and she smashed into the wall near to the brides who hissed in dismay. Dracula landed next to her and forced her to her feet and she winced in pain as he pinned her against the wall.

"You are not invincible and I will kill you if you try that again," he let her fall to the floor and a small yelp escaped as the pain ripped through her body again, the brides let Nick go and helped her to her feet gently as her vampiric blood set about repairing her broken body. Nick looked at her before glaring at Dracula and sprinting over to him and Areyah gasped and ripped free from the grasp of the brides knocked him to the floor before he reached her father.

"No," she snarled viciously her hands on his shoulders as he lay on the floor,

"I can take my punishment but if you tried anything you'd be ripped to shreds," she stood up and helped him to his feet and the brides dragged him backwards and out of the room and Areyah turned to face the count once more.

"Where is he being taken?" she asked, the cuts on her face healing slowly.

"The dungeon, his cell will be, incidentally, next to where I keep the werewolves. Why do you love him Areyah?" he threw in the question as if it was no more personal than asking if it was raining.

"If the werewolves get him I will kill you, and I do not love him… it is merely nice to have some one my own age to talk to, who I have no secrets from and is still not repulsed by me." She lied looking away. He glanced at her and rolled his eyes walking up behind her, her wings shrank away and disappeared,

"The Beast And The Harlot. She's a dwelling place for demons. She's a cage for every unclean spirit, every filthy bird and makes us drink the poisoned wine to fornicating with our kings." He whispered in her ear and she wrenched away from him turning to face him.

"How dare you, I am no beast compared to you and definitely no harlot, perhaps you should look at your brides to fit that description?" Areyah snarled. He laughed in her face,

"But you are a dwelling place for demons, you are half vampire, and you drink poisoned wine, wine and blood, and I'm sure you'll soon end up fornicating with Nicholas…" he hissed the last bit and she had to resist striking him across the face.

"I doubt that highly, and even if I did, your little prediction is wrong, Nick is no king." She smiled triumphantly.

"Oh really? Look up his ancestral roots my child, you'll find them on the Valerious family tree…" Areyah's eyes widened in horror as realization dawned on her.

"He is related to you my dear, distantly, his Mother was a cousin of Anna, you and him are the only Valerious left, though he doesn't share the name, as you do, not a princess any more my dear but a Queen…. And perhaps that young man could be your king?" Areyah did not stay and the last bit she only heard in her mind as Dracula placed the thought there. She ran into her bedroom and slammed the door, sobbing at the injustice of life.

"Fuck his prediction, He can look closer to home if he thinks I'm going to end up as a prostitute, I hate him!" She screamed and punched the mirror on the wall watching as it smashed in furious satisfaction, screaming again she threw herself on her bed and sobbed her heart out.

Dracula smiled faintly as he heard her unearthly shrieks of pain and laughed quietly,

"Oh my dear, my little prediction will come true, even if I have to help it a long a little. I need some fun and some more Valerious to kill off will undoubtedly be the way forward." He walked into Areyah's room, finding her asleep, her face still streaked with tears. He tried to act that he felt nothing for her, but the protectiveness and pity still lingered after her outburst on the rain soaked balcony. He shivered, and rolled his eyes picking her up gently he teleported to the dungeons where Nick was sat, watching the werewolves in the next room with a wary eye. He looked up as Dracula entered but made no attempt to stand. Neither said a word as Dracula place his daughter next to the confused boy. He went to leave and Nick spoke.

"What is she here for? Can you show no compassion, Vampire? She is your own blood after all!" He exclaimed quietly and Dracula looked back over his shoulder for a second at the troubled sleeping face.

"If Van Helsing comes he will expect me to treat her as a Queen, best she is down here with you, look after her…" He nodded and slammed the door. Nick looked at her and quelled the stir of emotions that he felt. She shivered in her sleep, 'and no wonder' though Nick bitterly, her velvet dress was in tatters and even when it was undamaged Nick doubted that it kept out the cold. He lay down next to her and pulled her close, his coat had been taken away with all his weapons and his own body heat was all he could give her now, sighing he closed his eyes a drifted off into a fitful sleep.


End file.
